Love, Loss and Coffee
by Bop-It
Summary: Lorelai Gilmore is back in the arms of the man she loves but will it be enough when she is faced with two of life's toughest battles?
1. Chapter 1

**Love, Loss and Coffee**

**Hi everyone, I am new to this whole experience and putting my story out there is nerve wracking but I hope at least some you like it.**

**The story starts where season 7 left off…**

CHAPTER 1

"You did this?" Lorelai looked at Luke in awe

"I just wanted to see you happy" he responded. Lorelai looked at Luke with her sparkling blue eyes and he couldn't resist any longer, he dropped the bag he was holding and took the two steps to reach her, pulled her in close and kissed her. Lorelai took his cue and kissed him back just as passionately. It may have taken them 12 months to make it back to this point but it was worth it. Lorelai's thoughts drifted back through the last year, engaged to the love of her life, split up from him, slept with Christopher, married Chris in Paris, divorced Chris and now back in the arms of Luke the one she wanted all along. It had been a big year, an emotional year, yet somehow it had ended in the best way possible, well almost. Rory was leaving the following day, a whole lot sooner than expected, but she had landed a great job and the Roller coasters would have to wait. It was going to be hard to be away from her daughter but Lorelai knew Rory was following her dreams and that was all that mattered, and know that she had Luke back being in Stars Hollow without Rory would be somewhat easier. Lorelai pulled away from Luke and gazed into his eyes.

"We should be getting back or people will miss us" A cheeky smile lit up her face and Luke took her hand, picked up the bag he had discarded and they walked back to the party together.

The next morning Lorelai and Rory were up early to prepare for Rory's departure. Lorelai grabbed the last of Rory's bags and picked up her keys.

"Come on we have a stop to make!" and with that they were on the road.

Luke had opened the Diner just for them and had started to prepare all their favourite breakfast foods, eggs, bacon, pancakes, the works! The two girls entered and sat at their usual table and enjoyed the mountains of food Luke had dished up. After the meal came the difficult part of saying goodbye.

Lorelai drove Rory to Hartford where she was to catch the bus to New York and that's when it became extremely hard. Lorelai looked at the brown haired blued eyed woman before her.

"I'm going to miss you kid"

Rory couldn't bring herself to look at her mother.

"I'm going to miss you too Mum, really miss you" she shifted in her seat nervously "Mum I'm terrified, I cant do this, what am I am thinking taking on a job this huge, what if I can't do it, what if they don't like my articles, what if they kick me off the tour"

Lorelai grabbed her hand.

"Rory, babe you are going to be great, you will adjust and you will churn out fantastic articles like you always have and they wouldn't have asked you to the job if they didn't think you were capable. Now go get on that bus and kick some Obama Butt." Rory sighed and climbed out of the car followed by her mother and both wrapped each other in a hug.

"I love you Mum" Lorelai squeezed her tightly

"I love you too Kid so much" giving her daughter a nudge "go on now the bus won't wait forever" Rory picked up her duffel bag "ok well..bye"

"Bye hun"

She took a few steps before turning around and throwing her arms around her mother again.

"Ill miss you mum" and with those parting words Rory turned and walked to the bus only looking back once she was settled in her seat.

Lorelai was fighting back the tears as she waved her daughter off. She stood staring unable to move as the bus pulled away and with one last wave Rory was gone and her mother was a mess. She returned to the car and tried to think about what was planned for later that day, but even thinking about Luke couldn't stop the tears from flowing. After a few minutes of blubbering Lorelai pulled herself together and began the drive back to Stars Hollow.

Half an hour later she pulled into her parking spot at the dragonfly and with one last glance at herself, made her way inside to see what the day ahead would entail. Three hours later after dealing with an emotional Sookie (pregnancy and hormones not boding well in the working environment at the moment), the usual Michel banter and an incident in the stables involving Kirk trying, and failing to ride a horse, Lorelai found herself making her way into town for lunch at her usual hangout -Luke's. Not that it had been her usual hangout so much over the past year in fact she had avoided it all costs but once she had found the courage to go back in for a coffee that had changed and now after last night Lorelai had a feeling that she would be spending a lot of time in the comfortable diner.

Luke was busy taking orders and clearing a table for the next patron when the bell jingled signalling a newcomer. He glanced up and his heart skipped a beat when he saw it was Lorelai who had entered, he dashed back to the kitchen to dispose of the plates he was holding and by the time he came out again, Lorelai was sitting at the counter drumming her nails on the bench top. Luke put his hand on hers.

"Hey you" Lorelai smiled at this small show of affection

"Hi"

Luke grabbed the coffee pot and poured a steaming mug of coffee.

"How has your day been? Did Rory get off ok?" At the mention of Rory, Lorelai's eyes glazed over again and as she fought back tears she sighed.

"Yeah Rory was fine, the bus left when it was supposed to so I guess she will be in New York meeting the group she is travelling with now. As for my morning at the inn, well it has been eventful to say the least, Kirk tried to ride our horse and failed"

Luke laughed "Kirk on a horse, oh geez what next?"

"Tell me about it" Lorelai sipped at her coffee and Luke placed the freshly made burger that Caesar had just bought out in front of her. "You made me a burger, how did you know if that's what I wanted huh Diner Man" Lorelai jested.

Luke simply smirked "You always want a burger."

Half an hour later with a full stomach and two cups of coffee in her Lorelai put some cash on the counter and made to grab her coat so she could get back to the mayhem of the inn, but before she could leave Luke grabbed her arm.

"Can I see you for a moment before you go…upstairs?"

Lorelai smiled "I guess, sure"

Luke slipped his hand into hers "Good, you go up I'll be there in a minute"

The brown haired beauty grabbed her coat and slipped behind the curtain to the staircase that lead up to Luke's apartment. It had been months since she had walked these stairs and it made her slightly nervous walking into his apartment again. She wasn't quite sure what to do so she took a seat at the small dining table and waited, hoping Luke wouldn't be long.

Five minutes passed before the door opened and Luke appeared. He closed the door behind him and made his way to Lorelai at the table. He knew what he wanted and he was determined not to let his nerves get the better of him something he could see his blue eyed girl wasn't having success with. He took a deep breath grabbed Lorelai's hand and pulled her close to him so he could wrap his arms around her. He whispered in her ear "you look beautiful today".

Lorelai pulled away "Luke are you sure about this, us, are you certain you want to be with me, what about April and Anna have you thought about them?"

Luke gazed into her eyes not saying anything before pulling her in and kissing her tenderly at first and then passionately as he could pouring everything he felt for her into it. "Does that answer your question?" he whispered into her ear after he pulled away gently.

"Um yes I think so "responded Lorelai leaning into his chest. After standing there just holding each other for what seemed like hours but was only minutes Luke broke the hug and bought them back to reality.

"I should get back to the diner and " "I should get back to the inn" Lorelai finished. "Can I see you tonight?"

Luke smiled "Call me when you get home and I will come over ok?" Lorelai smiled, reached up and gave her man one last kiss

"I'll call you" she replied, dashing out the door before it became impossible to leave.

Later that evening Lorelai walked through her front door feeling drained and tired. Her afternoon at the inn had been no less manic than the morning and the only reason she had walked out when she did was because she could barely keep her eyes open and Sookie practically forced her out the door. The brown haired beauty stumbled through the house towards the Kitchen she was focused on one thing. Coffee. Lorelai knew if she was going to make it through the evening and actually be awake to see Luke, coffee was needed, pronto. She fumbled with the coffee maker and 5 minutes later was sitting at the table with a steaming mug in her hands. As she sipped at her coffee she noticed Rory's bedroom door ajar and light coming from within, curious to know why the light was on when Rory wasn't home, she left her coffee and peeped into her daughter's room. It had been left immaculate and the light was coming from her bed side lamp that she must have accidently left on. Lorelai wandered over to the bedside table to turn the lamp off when she noticed the envelop e on the bed, it had one word written on it MUM, and it was then that she realised that her daughter had deliberately left the lamp on so that she would find the letter left for her. Lorelai sat on the bed and steeled her self for the emotion that was clearly going to come from reading what ever lay inside, ripped open the envelope and began to read.

"Hi Mom,

By the time you read this I will be well and truly settling into life on the road and you will have realised I left the light on in my room so you would find this! I know how much you wanted to take me all the way to New York today but it would have been too hard to say goodbye there and I knew I had to do this on my own. There is so much I wanted to say to you that you probably would tell me I have said before but I don't care I want to say it again. Thank you. Thankyou for having me and for bringing me up your way and not the traditional Gilmore way. You may have had me young but you didn't let that stop you from being a great mother. My first memories are of the potting shed and the independence inn and the way you made it our home. I know you struggled for a long time with the way Dad acted and him being in and out of our lives but you never let it affect me and protected me for as long as humanly possible from that burden. I love the fact that we are still fiercely protective of each other always. I want you to know that I'm extremely grateful that you gave me the opportunity to get to know my grandparents as hard as it was and still is at times for you to go to their place. Mom maybe you should give Grandma a chance, let her in and just see how it goes, I know you will never have the super close relationship with her that we have but you never know, she might surprise you. I want you to do me a favour ok? Hey don't be making that face I know you are right now hear me out. I want you to be happy and Luke makes you very happy, so don't hold back when it comes to him, I know your scared because of everything you have been through but be in Mom be all in. You are the best mother a girl could ask for and I am where I am today because of you. Never forget that. You are my everything. I Love you to the moon and back. I miss you.

Love Rory xoxo"

Lorelai clasped the paper against her chest as tears streamed down her face. She couldn't hold back the emotions she had been only just keeping in check all day, as she re read the beautiful letter her Rory had written to her the tears turned to sobs that wracked her entire body. She curled herself into a ball on Rory's bed and completely broke down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone, Thank you for the positive reviews on chapter one, it really helps motivate me to keep writing. Hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

CHAPTER 2

Luke was pacing the floor in his small apartment. He had closed the diner slightly early that night in the hope that Lorelai would call and he could be at her place and have her back in his arms sooner rather than later. He was also keen to share an idea he had with her, but two hours later she still had not called. He was really starting to worry, it was getting late and he knew if Lorelai had a reason to stay back at work she would have called him from the inn to let him know but the fact that he had heard nothing was concerning him greatly. After ten more minutes Luke decided he was not going to wait any longer, something wasn't right and he would not ignore it, he picked up his cell phone and dialled Lorelai's number. No answer, next he punched in her cell number and tried again, still nothing. He stood staring at the phone for a moment before he grabbed his keys and jacket and hurried down stairs to his truck.

He pulled into the Gilmore driveway and noticed the house was dark but Lorelai's jeep was parked out front, as he reached the front door he listened to see if he could hear anything but all he got was silence. He knocked on the door and waited to hear the usual noise of Lorelai making her way to the door but nothing, no movement and no answer. His mind started to race, what is going on, this is not like her, not answering phones and the jeep here but no one home, it doesn't make sense. Luke made his way to the back door and for once was thankful he had not gotten around to fixing that lock. He jimmied open the door and hurried into the kitchen. He saw the undrunk cup of coffee on the table and alarm bells went off in his head. "Lorelai!" "Lorelai where are you?" Luke called. He glanced around and then heard crying and noticed the light coming from Rory's room. He walked over to the bedroom door and his breath caught at the scene before him. Lorelai was huddled in a ball on the floor next to the bed surrounded by books, tears streaming down her cheeks and was grasping something to her chest.

"Oh Lorelai" he whispered his voice barely audible. Luke had never seen Lorelai like this before and wasn't quite sure how he was going to handle it but quickly pulled him self together, she needed him now. He made his way through the scatter of books everywhere until he reached her side and crouched down beside her. He put his hand on her arm as so not to startle her as he was unsure if she had noticed his arrival. Lorelai looked up at the touch and her eyes went wide when she saw Luke next to her.

"Luke…I…here" Lorelai sobbed handing him the letter she had been holding.

Luke took the letter, smoothed it out and began to read. He found himself a little teary by the time he got to the end but hid this from Lorelai as he turned to face her. "You miss her and you haven't let yourself feel anything about her leaving until now have you?"

Lorelai gazed at Luke and forced down the lump in her throat. "I couldn't let her leaving affect me otherwise I would have been a mess all the time, I wouldn't have got out of bed in the morning."

Luke brushed a tear from her cheek and tucked his arm under her and with one swift movement he scooped her up and gently laid her down on Rory's bed. "You are allowed to be upset Lor, Rory was your life, is your life and you have never been this far away from her before. Have you spoken to her since she left?"

Lorelai shook her head "She text me to say she had arrived safely and was with the group and would call later but she hasn't called yet"

Luke looked down at her tear stained face and couldn't stand it, he didn't want to do anything Lorelai wasn't comfortable with but he desperately wanted to comfort her. Before he could say anything however she reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Luke will you hold me…" she whispered.

"Of course" Luke kicked off his shoes and lay down behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist and tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear. "She will call Lorelai" he reassured her.

Lorelai tensed suddenly, sat up and threw Luke's arm off her. She turned and glared at him. "You…its you too"

"What do you mean" Luke said hesitantly sitting up himself

"This thing, this melt down I'm having …its not just Rory leaving, its you. We kissed last night and you just think things are going to be ok and you act like nothing happened before then and we are just going to pick up where we left off" Lorelai was now standing and her eyes flashed angrily.

Luke stood facing Lorelai not sure how to respond, she had gone from one extreme to the other in a matter of seconds. "That's not what I think Lor, I realise things won't just go back to how they were but..."

"YOU HURT ME LUKE, you said no, you pushed me away when all I tried to do was be there for you and help you adjust to being a father and you threw it all away…"

Luke was hurt and angry now "Don't you mean you threw it all away, I came for you, willing to marry you but you … you slept with Christopher!"

Lorelai glared at Luke not believing he was actually playing that card. She turned her back and almost tripped over a couple of books on her way out to the kitchen.

"LORELAI! Don't walk away from me when we are trying to talk, you can't be angry at me just for being honest. YOU HURT ME TOO! You knew sleeping with Christopher would hurt me the most, it was a pretty low way of getting your revenge." Luke snarled as he followed her into the kitchen.

"What did you expect me to do, I needed someone and he was there. But if it at all helps I regretted it instantly"

"Regretted it, so that's why you married the man because you regretted it! " Luke threw his hands in the air.

"That's not fair Luke, what do you think, I married Chris to hurt you?" Lorelai looked straight at him.

"Maybe, yeah. Would that be so ridiculous?"

"Yeah it is ridiculous because I didn't marry him to hurt you, I married him because I thought it would mean getting over you. Clearly I was wrong because if you haven't noticed I'm no longer wearing a ring" Lorelai shook her left hand toward Luke.

"Wait…you married him to get over me?" Luke looked questioningly at the woman standing before him.

Lorelai sighed and collapsed into the dining room chair she had been gripping "Well partly yes. I thought I loved him as well, I mean I have always loved him in some capacity and thought that it was what may have happened in the end anyway so it just made sense at the time, and I figured once I was married I would get you out of my head, but that wasn't the case. You stick, you know that" She looked at Luke with a small smile playing at her lips.

"I Stick? Well I hope that's a good thing" Luke sat down in the chair opposite Lorelai and sighed.

"Yeah you stick like a piece of gum in my hair, no matter how hard I try I just can't get it out! It's a good thing…you're here now aren't you?" She reached across the table and put her hand on his. "I am sorry I yelled at you...I…"

"Don't apologise this was bound to happen eventually, we haven't really ever talked about what happened then. It all needed to be said. But I'm sorry I yelled at you too" He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently.

They both looked at each other and Lorelai tugged on Luke hand to make him come closer. He stood and pulled her into a hug. Finally they had the chance to hold each other and mean it. Luke pulled back slightly and tipped her chin up to meet his and kissed her gently. He slipped his arm back around Lorelai's waist and guided her gently to Rory's room. He looked at her and took a deep breath. "So do you want to tell me what happened here or should we just put them away quietly? "

Lorelai looked around the room and felt terrible, all of Rory's prized books scattered and she had been responsible. "I guess I should explain" Lorelai started picking up books and placing them back on shelves and in draws where they belonged. "I was upset after reading the letter and then that turned to anger, I was mad at Rory for leaving me and took it out on her books, then I just got mad at myself for mistreating my own daughter's belongings and collapsed in a heap upset all over again and that's where you found me." A single tear slid down her cheek and Luke gently brushed it away.

"It's a good thing you let yourself feel what you needed to. You will be ok. You have me and I'm not going anywhere." Luke Smiled as he put the last book on the shelf. With the room back in order Lorelai switched off the lamp, they left the room and shut the door. Luke made Lorelai a fresh cup of coffee and just as he gave it to her, her cell rang.

"Rory!" Lorelai yelped as she rummaged through her bag and pulled out the phone. "Rory, babe how are you?" Lorelai grabbed her coffee and motioned for Luke to follow her into the living room. They both sat down on the couch and Luke flicked on the TV while Lorelai spoke to her daughter. Half an hour later Lorelai hung up and was feeling much better than earlier on.

"How is she?" asked Luke

"She is great, a little homesick but she will be ok once she gets in the groove of things, I told her what happened and she forgave me for throwing her books around" Lorelai looked at Luke and smiled shyly. Putting her mug down on the coffee table she stood and yawned. "I think I need to get some sleep, are you staying?" she looked at Luke questioningly. Luke hesitated, he wasn't sure what he should do but then he thought if it were me I would want her to stay if I had had the day she has just had.

"I can stay if that's what you want"

"I don't mind, but it would be nice" responded Lorelai.

Luke turned off the TV and followed Lorelai upstairs to her room. He took of his shirt and was getting ready to fall into bed when Lorelai suddenly grabbed him around the waist and kissed him hard. Luke knew what she wanted but he was reluctant. "Lor" he gently peeled her away from him. "I don't think it's a good idea, not tonight"

"What?! What do you mean, you never say no to…well being intimate" She looked at him in amazement and felt slightly hurt by his rejection.

" Look it has been a long while since we…well we have been intimate as you put it and I just want the first time again to be right and special and not just to help get over a shitty day"

"OK well if that's the way you want it" Lorelai slipped beneath the covers of her bed and lay staring at the ceiling. Luke climbed in next to her and rolled over to face her. He played with a strand of her hair contemplating how to say what he wanted to ask her.

"Thankyou for understanding Lor. Lorelai gazed over at him and could see he wanted to say something. Before she could question him on it he looked at her and started to mumble.

"Lorelai what do you think of the idea of having a weekend away with me?" He asked finally getting out what he had wanted to ask her all day. Lorelai Smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone,**

**Thanks for all the great reviews they certainly keep me inspired to write more! A shout out to Joana and Nina, I hear you and the mistake won't be made again, I think i just got a little carried away and it slipped in! This Chapter is dedicated to Bec who inspired part of it and is forever encouraging me to believe in myself and my writing. Thank you x. **

**Enjoy...**

**Chapter 3**

Lorelai was sitting on a stool at the counter in Luke's, watching the man himself move about doing his job. Every time he went passed she would try again.

"Come on Luke, just a little hint?" she pleaded with him for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. She looked at him with the puppy dog eyes and the famous Gilmore pout was starting to form.

"Lorelai!" he responded rolling his eyes "I said no five minutes ago I am saying no again. You will just have to wait and enjoy the surprise, and don't be pouting at me because it's not going to work!"

It had been two weeks since Luke had asked her to go way for the weekend and she had happily accepted. He was arranging the whole thing and wouldn't Lorelai in on anything which was greatly annoying her, and her attempts to get information had been unsuccessful thus far as he was being relentless. Looking at her watch she realised it was past the time she had told Sookie she would be back from lunch. Lorelai stood and grabbed one last gulp of coffee and looked around for Luke, he came out from the kitchen loaded with plates. She waited until he had deposited them at a table in the corner and then went to say goodbye. "I'm off now, got to get back and be a manager for a while longer!" She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss and made for the door.

"Bye Lorelai, I'll see you later" Luke called after her. Luke looked around and noticed two people leaving, he waited for them to depart and then grabbed the money they had left and cleared the table. He made his way out the back, placed the dishes in the sink and then grabbed the folder he had hidden under the bench. Trying to plan a weekend away without Lorelai finding out details, was damn hard work. He noticed the lunch rush seemed to be over and it was fairly quiet out front so he decided to make a phone call and get one of the surprises for the weekend organized. He grabbed the phone from out front and punched in a number. It rang three times before he got an answer.

"_Hello"_

"Hi Rory, Its Luke, have you got a sec?"

"_Sure Luke what's up? Is mom ok?"_

"Your moms fine, look I'm planning a weekend away for your mom and I had this idea…"

10 minutes later Luke hung up the phone and smiled to himself. This is going to be the best surprise I have ever pulled off he thought. The bell jingled out front bringing him back to reality, he quickly hid the folder again and made his way out the front to serve the newest customers of the day.

Meanwhile at the Inn Lorelai was running back and forth between the front desk and various other places making sure things were happening they way they should and the guests were happy. In the Kitchen Sookie was busy preparing some fresh vegetables for her famous ratatouille dish when the back door opened and Luke slipped inside. He made his way over to Sookie who hadn't noticed him come in.

"Hey Sookie" Luke leaned on the counter. Sookie jumped back and dropped the knife she was using.

"LUKE! Oh god don't do that, you scared me." She picked up the knife and put it aside and turned to face the flannel clad man. "So what brings you here then?"

Luke shifted nervously "Ok so I need your help, you are probably aware that I'm planning a weekend away for Lorelai?'

"Yeah of course she won't stop harping on about it and the fact that you won't tell her anything"

Luke Smiled "Yeah she tries her best but I won't give her anything, anyhow I am hoping you will be able to do me a favour…" Luke filled Sookie in on what he was hoping she would be able to do for him and waited for her reaction. "Well?"

"Well I don't know…" Sookie smiled "Of course I will help you Luke, it will be fabulous!"

Luke sighed he had been concerned for a second "Thanks so much Sookie and remember it's a surprise so no telling Lorelai!"

"Don't worry I won't tell" Sookie glanced at the clock on the wall and gasped "Luke you have to go its Lorelai she will be in here for coffee any minute"

Luke thanked Sookie again and took for the door moving so fast he didn't see Pierro the assistant chef carrying an arm full of trays.

Out in the dining room Lorelai was heading toward the kitchen yelling at Michel over her shoulder. "MICHEAL! JUST DO IT PLEASE ITS NOT THAT HARD, I DON'T WHY YOU'RE MAKING IT SO DIFFICULT" "I mean seriously" she mumbled under her breath. She stopped to fix up one of the tables when all of a sudden there was an almighty crash from the kitchen. "Oh Sookie." she sighed. "SOOKIE I'M COMING."

Luke looked from the pile of trays to Sookie and then heard Lorelai yelling from the dining room.

"SOOKIE IM COMING."

Sookie went wide eyed and looked at Luke "Go get out of here we will fix that GO!"

Luke didn't need telling twice and dashed out the back door just as the dining room door swung open.

Lorelai skidded to a stop as she entered the kitchen and looked around surprised to see Sookie standing and looking normal. "What happened Sookie and why aren't you on the floor? Crash equals Sookie on the ground, crash equals Sookie upset, this is not normal!"

"Lorelai it was just Pierro he dropped some trays ok, I'm fine" Sookie giggled. "Are you ok hun?"

Lorelai sighed "Yeah I'm fine, just tired and frustrated that Luke won't tell me anything. It's killing me!"

Sookie laughed "You need to learn to appreciate surprises Lorelai, you have never been any good with them though have you?"

"No it's not my strong suit, oh I need coffee, do you have any made?" Lorelai asked as she made her way towards the Coffee maker.

"Yeah just made a fresh pot" responded Sookie.

Lorelai poured herself a cup of coffee and headed back towards the door. "Back to it I guess, smells good by the way!"

"Thanks hun" Sookie looked up as Lorelai disappeared through the door and then went back to the task at hand.

The next week rolled by fairly uneventful and Lorelai had finally given up trying to get information out of Luke after she had exhausted every possible technique in her book including trying to allure him with sexual favours and when that had not worked she had surrendered. It was a Thursday evening and Lorelai had left the Inn late and was heading home. As she drove by Luke's she noticed it was dark and closed which was what she had expected so she kept on going and pulled into her driveway a few minutes later. Lorelai stumbled up the stairs onto the porch and made her way inside. It was only after she had put her cardigan on the rack that she noticed the envelope on her floor. Someone had pushed it under her front door, it had one word on it LORELAI. She picked it up off the floor, went to the kitchen where she dumped her keys and bag down and looked at the envelope with interest. She did not recognise the hand writing and was wondering who it could be from. Curiosity got the better of her and she ripped it open, unfolded the single page that was inside and began to read.

_Dear Lorelai,_

_SURPRISE! I hope your day at work was a good one because it was the last one for this week. Your weekend away has finally arrived! Please pack your bag and be ready and waiting for your driver at 6.00am tomorrow morning. Don't worry about the Inn that has been taken care of and Paul Anka will be looked after by Babbette. All you need to worry about is yourself._

_Now go get some sleep, I do not want Grumpy Lorelai in the morning!_

_See you tomorrow._

_Love Luke_

_Xx_

_P.S Please make sure you pack a swimsuit, a nice going out outfit and at least one pair of shorts or jeans._

Lorelai reread the letter twice and could not wipe the grin off her face. Luke was really making an effort here and if she knew Luke this was going to be one amazing weekend. She glanced at her watch and snapped back to reality, it was already 11pm and she now had to be up extra early and she still had to pack a bag. Lorelai dumped her mug in the sink and dashed upstairs only to turn around and come back down 2 seconds later. She flung open the hall closet and yanked her small suitcase out from amongst the others and ran upstairs once again. Lorelai packed and repacked three times before she was happy with what she had. She had made sure to pack everything Luke had asked her too and was slightly unnerved at the thought of her bikini being in the bag but ignored that as she snuggled down in bed and tried to get some sleep.

The alarm clock sounded at 4.45am and Lorelai rolled over sleepily and hit the snooze button. Ten minutes later it purred again and she hit the button and then realised why she was waking up so early, Luke was picking her up in just over an hour! She rolled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom followed by the kitchen and made herself a large mug of coffee and took it with her back upstairs. She grabbed the outfit she picked out the night before, took a shower and lugged her suitcase downstairs and had enough time for a second cup of coffee before Luke was due to arrive. Lorelai had been determined not to be late this morning as she wanted the weekend to start off positive so at 5.55 she put her cardigan on, locked the door and stood on the porch waiting for the green truck to pull up.

Sure enough at 6.00am on the dot Luke pulled into the Gilmore driveway. He smiled when he saw Lorelai actually waiting for him on the porch. He had expected her to be late and still running around like a mad woman as she usually is when he picks her up. He pulled up next to her Jeep and made his way up to where Lorelai was waiting.

"Hi" Luke said leaning down to get his morning Kiss.

"Hey" Lorelai mumbled back between kisses.

Luke pulled her in close for a quick hug and then grabbed her suitcase.

"Shall we get going then" He made his way back to the truck and placed the suitcase in the back and opened the door for Lorelai. Inside on her seat was a large takeaway cup of Luke's coffee and a small brown paper bag. "Coffee and a muffin for you" Luke smiled. Lorelai climbed into the truck and he handed her the items.

"Thanks Luke, your coffee is the best!" Lorelai smiled shyly as she peeked into the bag to see what flavour he had picked. "Chocolate Chip my favorite" She grinned at Luke as he jumped into the driver's seat. He reached into his pocket and pulled a piece of black material out and turned to face the blued eyed woman beside him.

"OK, Lorelai, you're probably going to hate me for this and I could end up regretting it after, but I am going to blindfold you."

"What!" Lorelai exclaimed almost spitting out the mouthful of coffee she had just drunk. She looked at Luke holding the blindfold and realised he was deadly serious. "Well ok fine but only because I know you won't go anywhere until I do" Luke laughed and reached over to place the soft material over her eyes. "And I want you to know I'm doing this under protest!" Lorelai stated as she held the blindfold in place while Luke secured it form the back. Once he was sure that Lorelai couldn't see anything, Luke started up the truck and pulled away from the Gilmore house.

They had been driving for what seemed like hours to Lorelai but had only really been 40 minutes when they pulled into the car park at the Hartford Airport. Luke jumped out and went around to the passenger door and opened it for Lorelai. He helped her out of the truck and pulled her into a hug. "You ready to find out where we are?" he asked breaking the hug.

"More than ready Luke... please you're torturing me here!" Lorelai playfully pounded him on the chest. Luke smiled staying silent. "LUKE!"

"Ok ok, you can take the blindfold off!" Luke chuckled.

Lorelai pulled off the blindfold and blinked rapidly getting used to the light around her again. Slowly she began to take in her surroundings and then she realised what was happening. "Luke are we are flying somewhere?" Lorelai looked at him excitedly.

"Yes we are and lets go or we will miss our flight" Luke grabbed the bags from the back and they made their way inside the terminal. Luke had done the main check in online so they joined the bag drop cue and were soon at the counter.

"Where are you travelling to today" The attendant asked

Luke looked at Lorelai who was waiting eagerly for the answer. "Orlando, Florida" he responded. Lorelai's jaw dropped and she was speechless. "It's not often your lost for words Lorelai" Luke jested. He finished checking them in and then led the still mute Lorelai through security and up to the gate.

"Luke… I…wow! I can't believe your taking me to another state for a weekend away!" Lorelai threw herself at Luke and hugged him tight. Twenty minutes later they boarded the plane and were on their way. They had one stop over in Washington and arrived in Orlando around Lunch time.

After grabbing a quick bite to eat in the airport they picked up the rental car that Luke had arranged and drove to the hotel they would be staying at. Luke had not picked just any hotel he had picked the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area of Disney World! They could only drive so far and then took the monorail the rest of the way. Lorelai was in awe of Luke and kept looking at him like he wasn't really there, like the whole thing was a daydream. They checked in and made their way up to the room. It was a beautiful room with an amazing view. Lorelai put her suitcase out of the way and put her arms around Luke. "You are amazing, you know that, I can't believe you did all this for me, I mean we are in Disney World…Disney World!"

Luke smiled "I know, and of course I would do this for you, I love you Lorelai"

"I love you too" Lorelai reached up and kissed Luke deeply. Luke eventually broke the kiss and went to grab something out of his bag.

"Here you go" he said handing Lorelai an envelope. Lorelai smiled and carefully opened the envelope and peered inside.

"Oh my God! We have passes already, does this mean we can go to Disney World like right now!" Lorelai rambled excitedly as she pulled the tickets out and waved them at Luke.

"Yes I got tickets valid for two days so we could make the most of it" Luke replied. Lorelai gave Luke a quick hug and grabbed her bag.

"Let's go then!" She grabbed Luke's hand and the two of them made their way to the theme park. Once inside and with a map in hand and the camera out ready, Lorelai snapped a random picture of Luke and then looked at him eagerly.

"So where to first Diner Man" Lorelai asked.

"You pick the first ride and lead the way" he responded smiling but shaking his head at how much like a big kid Lorelai looked.

Lorelai skimmed the map and found what she was looking for. The biggest rollercoaster in the whole place. Once she got her bearings they set off for what was sure to get the adrenalin pumping. They had joined the cue and had just made it to the front when Lorelai noticed Luke's hand had gone clammy. She looked at him and realised he seemed nervous but before she could say anything the gate was opened and they were ushered through and into the waiting coaster.

Once seated and locked in by the safety bars Lorelai turned to look at Luke the best she could. "Is something bothering you Luke? You don't look too good."

"Ah well I have never been on a rollercoaster before and I hate heights" Luke gulped as he gripped the safety bars tightly.

Lorelai gasped "What! Luke why didn't you say anything, you didn't have to do this!"

It was then that the coaster started moving along the track and then started its slow climb to the top.

Luke swallowed hard and glanced at Lorelai. "I wanted you to have the rollercoaster ride you had been planning on doing this summer and that ride was never meant to happen alone so I'm doing this with you and it's too late to back out now anyway."

"Oh Luke…you really would do anything for me wouldn't you?" Lorelai smiled and then realised the coaster was almost at the top. "Luke close your eyes and hold on tight because here we go!" The coaster hit the top and went round a bend before tipping over the edge and causing Lorelai to let out a scream. It was all over in a matter of ninety seconds. The coaster came to a stop and Luke and Lorelai exited the ride, collected their belongings and made their way back into the crowds. Lorelai pulled Luke to the side.

"Are you ok?" she asked looking into his eyes.

"Yeah...well…I will be in a minute once my heart stops beating a million miles an hour" he replied bending over to catch his breath.

"I can't believe you did that just for me. I mean you were scared and that took guts Luke"

Lorelai looked at him in awe.

"What can I say except I love you and you love those rides so what else could I do!" He looked at Lorelai and managed a weak smile. "So where to next?"

Lorelai took it easy on Luke that afternoon and the following day as they explored the magical theme park making sure he was comfortable going on any rides and letting him sit out any he wasn't keen on. It was a full on day and a half and they were exhausted by the time they made it back to the hotel room on Saturday night. They ordered room service and watched a movie before snuggling down in bed. Even though he was tired Luke wasn't ready to sleep and was hoping Lorelai would feel the same. He rolled over and kissed her softly on the lips, Lorelai put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer deepening the kiss. Luke took this as a sign and ran his hand over her stomach and all the way up to her face and brushed a piece of hair away from her eyes. He broke the kiss and looked down at her. "Are you ready…?" he whispered.

"Am I ever" Lorelai pulled him back down and kissed him passionately.

The next morning Lorelai woke and sleepily took in the naked man lying beside her. She smiled as the memories of the night before came back to her. It had been an amazing night. She was lost in her thoughts when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Room service" the voice called from the other side.

"Just a minute' Lorelai called back. Luke stirred at the sound of Lorelai's voice.

"Morning sunshine" he said sleepily.

"Morning sexy" Lorelai replied as she climbed out of bed and threw on Luke's shirt and boxers and went to answer the door.

They ate breakfast in bed, then slowly but surely got their things together and checked out of the hotel. Once back on the road in the hire car Luke glanced over at Lorelai who was dozing and smiled at the thought of the last surprise he had in store. Lorelai awoke and looked at the time, realising she had been asleep for close to an hour. "Luke what's going on…we don't seem to be anywhere near the airport." Lorelai looked confused.

"Oh we just have one last stop to make before we catch our flight" Luke smiled cheekily.

Lorelai just shook her head and relaxed back into her seat. Luke had surprised her enough already that she was just going with the flow now. A couple of hours later they pulled up at a motel on the outskirts of Miami.

"Luke what are we doing in Miami?" Lorelai's Curiosity was getting the better of her now after a three hour drive and not knowing where she was going.

"You will see in a minute" replied Luke. He led her up to one of the rooms and they stood outside the door for a minute and the Luke looked at Lorelai and knocked on the door. Lorelai was looking at Luke like he was crazy, they had driven three hours to come and knock on someone's motel door, what was he thinking? No sooner had these thoughts popped into her head, the door was opened and Lorelai's jaw hit the floor. Her daughter was standing there looking back at her.

"MOM!" Rory squealed and threw her arms around her mother who was clearly very surprised and lost for words yet again.

"Rory" Lorelai finally gasped. "I don't believe it, what are you doing down here?"

"The campaign is here at the moment and when Luke found out he planned it so we could surprise you!" Rory replied hugging her mom tightly.

Lorelai hugged her daughter back and then hugged Luke. "Thank you" she whispered as a tear slid down her cheek. Luke brushed it away and looked at her concerned. "I'm just really happy Luke and it's all because of you."

The rest of the afternoon flew by as they found a coffee shop and spent time with Rory. Eventually Luke had to break the bad news, that it was time to go catch their flight home. Lorelai and Rory had a tearful goodbye and then Luke and Lorelai were on the road again to Miami airport. They both slept most of the plane ride home and they finally arrived back at Lorelai's house at eleven o'clock that night. Lorelai walked through her front door feeling happier than she had in along time. She had even started thinking about her future with Luke and where it might lead. Little did she know, that future with Luke was closer than she ever imagined.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi everyone, thank you to all those who have read my story so far, the reviews have made me feel like maybe I can do this! I know it has been a while since my last update and I apologise but it has been a rough 6 months for me personally as not long I after my last update my mum was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer. It is a continuing journey my family is on with my mum currently having chemotherapy. I hope you will continue to read the new chapters and I ask for your patience if I don't get them up too quickly, however I will try my best. Please enjoy the latest instalment! **

Chapter 4

Lorelai had been extremely busy in the few weeks following her and Lukes amazing weekend away, and she felt like she had barely seen him since they got back. All of her time seemed to be spent at the Inn which had been crazy with two weddings and preparing for Sookie's maternity leave which was starting next week. As it was Sookie was moving much slower and relying on her staff to make sure the Kitchen was running smoothly. Lorelai had been monitoring her best friend and was ready to put her on bed rest if she saw it was getting too much for her. She was sitting her office mulling over plans for yet another wedding that was taking place in a couple of weeks time making sure even the smallest details had been taken care of when she felt the need for coffee coming over her. She pushed the papers back onto the desk and decided she could do with a break anyway.

Lorelai entered the kitchen "Hey Sookie, coffee craving alert!" She was making her way to the coffee maker when she noticed Sookie had not responded as she normally would and now she had reached the coffee maker and seen no coffee she started to worry. Sookie was standing on the other side of the kitchen near the stove.

"Earth to Sookie!" Lorelai jested as she walked over to her. She squeezed Sookie's arm and looked at her searching as if the problem would just jump out at her. "Hey master chef, are you ok?" she asked. Sookie turned slowly to look at where the voice had come from.

"Oh hey Lorelai, where did you come from?"

"Sookie, I announced my arrival when I entered the kitchen and there is no coffee, what is going on, are you ok?" Lorelai asked looking at her friend with concern.

"Oh yeah I'm ok, just been a little distracted I guess" Sookie replied softly. Lorelai wasn't convinced her friend was ok but she had learnt not to argue with her especially in the kitchen and even more so when she was pregnant.

"Well if you are sure your ok, I might pop out to Luke's for Coffee then." Lorelai gave Sookie's arm another gentle squeeze and turned to make her way out of the kitchen. She had only walked a couple of steps when there was a bang from behind her and she turned around to find Sookie collapsed on the floor. "Sookie...Oh my god SOOKIE!" Lorelai hurried over and bent down over her best friend. She grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Sookie can you hear me? Sookie come on wake up!" When there was no response from her friend Lorelai panicked. "MICHELE!" she screamed. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Lorelai was in full panic mode and knew she needed to ring an ambulance but did not want to leave Sookie. She found enough sense to reach up and turn off the stove above her and just she was about to scream out again the dining room door swung open and Michele came flying through it.

"Lorelai? Were you screaming?" he enquired looking around the Kitchen.

"MICHELE!" Lorelai took a deep breath and tried again. "Michele can you please call an ambulance, Sookie has collapsed and is not responding" Lorelai was shaking and looked up to see Michele was now standing in front of her cell phone in hand talking to the 911 operator.

"Lorelai does she have a pulse" Michele asked relaying the questions from the operator. Lorelai's first aid training was slowly kicking in as she tried to push the panic aside. She put two fingers on Sookies neck and let out a sigh of relief when she felt her heart pumping and then placed one finger under her nose and counted to ten waiting to feel the soft blow of breath.

"Yes she has a pulse and she is breathing." Lorelai relaxed slightly when she realised her friend wasn't dying right this moment. Michele continued speaking to the operator until the Ambulance arrived and as Lorelai climbed into the back with her friend he reassured her.

"Sookie is going to be ok, don't worry about the inn and I will call Jackson and let him know what has happened and to meet you there"

"Thanks Michele" Lorelai looked up as the doors of the ambulance closed and gave him a small smile. Everything seem to happen quickly after that. When they arrived at the hospital Sookie was taken in and had people all around, Doctors and Nurses doing what needed to be done. Lorelai had to sit in the waiting room while the tests were being run and she was anxious to find out what was going on with her best friend. Jackson arrived shortly after the ambulance and found Lorelai in the waiting room.

"Jackson she just collapsed and I panicked and..." Jackson hugged Lorelai.

"How is she, do we know anything yet?" he asked tears in his eyes.

"No not yet there still running tests and she hasn't regained consciousness yet" Lorelai had tears streaming down her face. "She has to be ok" she whispered.

The colour drained from Jacksons face as he took in Lorelai's words. He sank into the chair behind him and put his head in his hands. Lorelai had sat back down in the seat next to him and reached out for his hand.

"Sookie is a strong woman Jackson, a fighter, she will get through this" Lorelai said soflty as she gave his hand a squeeze. Jackson looked up at Lorelai and it wouldn't matter how many times she ressaured him he would still see the fear in her eyes, the same fear he knew was reflected in his own eyes.

Lorelai wiped a tear from her cheek and realised that her phone was vibrating in her bag. Somehow in all the chaos she had ended up with her bag, she wasn't sure how and thought perhaps Michele had grabbed it and given it to her at some point. She pulled her phone out, saw Luke's name on the screen and quickly answered the call.

"Luke" Lorleai's voice cracked on that one word.

_"Lorelai, whats wrong? People are saying they saw an ambulance leave your inn"_

"People are right Luke, Im ok, it's Sookie, she collapsed in the Kitchen and we still don't know what's wrong with her, they just keep saying they are still running tests and no change. I'm scared Luke"

_"Oh Lorelai, I'm on my way ok, Ill be at the Hospital shortly" _

"Luke, the diner, you cant just.."

_"Lorelai don't worry, Caeser will take care of it and you need me, I'm coming" _

Lorelai heard the clunk on the other end as Luke hung up and was feeling slightly less anxious knowing Luke was coming.

Ten minutes later a doctor approached and Jackson stood up.

"Are you Sookie's family?" the doctor asked.

Jackson extended his hand. "I'm Jackson, Sookies Husband and this is Lorelai" he said shaking the Doctors hand.

"I'm Doctor Kate Beckett and I have been looking after Sookie." The doctor responded. Jackson looked at the doctor anxiously and then at Lorelai. The doctor opened her file. "Jackson, we have run multiple tests and examined Sookie, She is still unconscious at the moment and we are unsure of why. The reason Sookie collapsed was due to extremely low blood pressure, but that doesn't explain why she has not regained consciousness, we are continuing to monitor her and are running more tests to try and find an answer."

Jackson looked even paler now than before. "Is the baby ok?"

"The baby is fine but we are keeping watch to make sure she doesn't go into early labour, there is something else you should know. We did some ultrasounds and we discovered a mass in Sookies Abdomen. We are having a specialist look at the scans and they will determine what to do from there."

Jackson felt his knees go weak and he stumbled into the chair behind him. He had a million things going through his head. "Can I see her?" he whispered.

"Of course, right this way"

Jackson followed Dr Beckett out of the waiting room and Lorelai sat down feeling numb with shock. Her best friend was unconscious with a mass inside of her and there was nothing she could do. Lorelai burst into tears as Luke walked in. He saw her go from shock to tears as she walked toward her. Lorelai couldn't stop the tears as she felt two arms close around her and pull her up into a hug. Luke held her until she calmed down and then he sat down and Lorelai told him what the doctor had said. Luke squeezed her hand.

"Sookie is strong Lorleai, she will beat whatever this is" Luke brushed a tear from her cheek. Lorelai nodded and squeezed his hand. Luke reached down with his free hand and picked up the cup of coffee he had bought with him. "Here I thought you might need this" he handed her the cup and she accepted gratefully.

"Thanks" It was another half an hour before Jackson returned to the waiting room.

"How is she?" Luke asked Lorelai looked up upon hearing Luke's voice and saw the tears welling in Jacksons eyes.

"There is no change, she looks so not like her..."

Lorelai stood up and gave Jackson a hug. "We are here if you need anything you know that."

"Thanks I know. My parents are coming to look after the kids and I'm going to stay here with her for a while longer. You don't need to stay if you don't want to." Lorelai gave Jackson one last squeeze and he walked back towards Sookies room.

Luke put his arm around Lorelai. "Come on let's get you home" Luke guided Lorelai out of the hospital and bundled her into the car and they headed towards home.

The next morning Lorelai woke to noise coming from the kitchen. Slowly the events of the day before came flooding back and she looked around for her cell phone wanting to check if there had been any word on Sookie. It was no where to be found in the bedroom so Lorelai gabbed her bathrobe and threw it on as she hurried down the stairs. Upon entering the kitchen Lorelai stopped as she saw Luke standing by the stove cooking pancakes and coffee brewing in the pot.

"Luke! What...shouldn't you be at the Diner?"

Lorelai spotted her cell on the kitchen table as she spoke and checked it. No new messages. Luke watched as she looked at her phone and when her face fell he quickly flipped the pancake he was cooking onto a plate and then pulled Lorelai into his arms.

"Caeser is at the diner, so don't worry about that. Sookie will be ok and Jackson will contact you as soon as anything changes." Luke had no sooner spoken when Lorelais cell rang.

"It's Jackson!" Lorelai sank into a chair as she answered.

"Hi Jackson"

_"Hi Lorelai, just wanted to let you know that Sookie woke up this morning. She is still not completely with it but she is awake" _

Lorelai let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god. Thanks for letting me know, I will be in later to see her if that's ok?"

_"That's fine, she would want you here, see you later Lorelai" _

"Ok bye"

Lorelai put the phone down and looked up to see Luke standing next to her pancakes in hand. "Sookie woke up Luke..." Lorelais voice cracked and a tear slid down her cheek. Luke placed the plate on the table and put his arms around her.

"That's great, I'm sure she will be ok" he wiped the tear from Lorelai's cheek and sat down next to her. "You need to eat something, I'll take you over to the hospital when your ready."

Lorelai looked at Luke a small smile on her face, picked up her fork and started to eat, realising that she was quite hungry.

A couple of hours later Luke dropped Lorelai at the hospital after telling her he would go check on the diner and come back to pick her up when she called. Lorelai made her way inside and found Sookie's room. She opened the door quietly and entered to find Sookie awake.

"Hey you, glad to see those eyes open." Lorelai smiled as she approached the bed. "These are for you, ill get some water for them soon" she placed the bunch of flowers she had bought with her on the shelf in the corner and sat in the chair next to her friend.

"Thank you they are beautiful" Sookie shifted in her bed and reached out for Lorelai's hand.

Lorelai gave Sookie's hand a squeeze and tried hard to hold back the tears. "I'm glad your ok, you had me scared" Lorelai smiled at Sookie and swatted the tear away that had snuck down her cheek.

"Lorelai, I don't know what's going to happen, the doctors haven't told me much. They still haven't got the results back on what the mass is inside me yet. I have a specialist appointment this afternoon" Sookie lay back on the pillow and sighed.

"I'm sure everything is going to be ok" Lorelai reassured her friend. They sat together chatting away making small talk but both had bigger thoughts on their minds. What is going to happen to my friend thought Lorelai, is she going to be ok, what would I do without her?


End file.
